A Different Sort of Learning
by RaynaDarkstorm
Summary: Jane Rizzoli is the worst kind of troublemaker... The smart kind. Maura Isles is also incredibly smart, and devastatingly beautiful. However, she is naive in the ways of the world. What will they be able to teach each other? AU. Femslash.
1. Prologue

**Author's Notes:** Well hello there! This is my first foray into writing a _Rizzoli & Isles_ fanfic. My co-author, the lovely SamanthaLisaWalkerfan101, has done this before, so I'm hoping you'll all be pleased with the results.

Now, this has not been beta'd, but we both have proofed it as best as we can.

So, we hope you enjoy! And if you did, please leave a review!

Oh, and neither SamanthaLisaWalkerfan101 nor myself own _Rizzoli & Isles_. I just happen to like making the characters dance. Dance puppets, dance!

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><p>"You bastards know you have absolutely nothing on me. I'm a straight-A student, AP courses all the way.. Sterling record. You don't like my looks, so you want me gone. Just own that." Jane Rizzoli reclined sideways in her seat, smirking. She observed her adversary. A short, fat, slovenly man whose shirt bore the stains of the days lunch. Or at least, she hoped it was that day's lunch...<p>

"Now, Janie, we-" The grotesque excuse for a principal began.

Jane immediately went from cocky to livid. "Don't you fucking call me that! No one calls me that! Not my mother, not my brothers, and definitely not a dickless, pencil-pushing know-nothing like you!" Face heated and red, where once she had been seated with her left leg hung over the corresponding chair arm, she now sat bolt upright, fingers digging into padded armrests.

The dickless Principal flushed. "Now listen here, you little delinquent, we know you stole the finals. We know you sold them to the students that were going to fail the year if they failed their finals. We know it, even if we can't prove it. And we both know it's only a matter of time until we get someone you sold a final, to flip on you. So we're giving you one chance to keep that clean record you're so proud of. Leave here, now. Never come back. You'll still graduate, though you won't be able to stand with your 'peers' and collect a diploma. You'll get a glowing recommendation for whatever college you decide to attend. Let them deal with your attention-seeking behaviors." Mumbling under his breath, he continued, "Worthless dyke."

Shooting forward faster than he could blink, her body clearing the assorted knick-knacks off the desk. And even as a placard bearing the name "Richard Lochless" buried itself painfully into her abdomen, Jane was wrapping her hands into the principal's collar, forcing his skull to rock back painfully with the impact. "I'm not fucking worthless! I'll fucking kill you! I'll kill you!" Jane's mouth was literally foaming, and Lochless began fearing for his life.

"I told you not to push her buttons," Spoke a voice from the doorway.

Startled, both girl and man turned toward the sound, Jane's grip slacking off as she turned.

"S-s-superintendent! I-" Began Mr. Dick-err-Lochless.

"Save it. I knew I should have handled this myself." Turning her head to better make eye contact with the younger woman, she said, "Do you know who I am?"

Jane matched the eye contact, and casually assessed the woman. Tall, slender. Nicely pressed dress suit. Carefully coiffed hair, light yet affective makeup. Clearly a fellow lover of women. These facts, combined with the fact that the principle referred to her as "Superintendent" meant she could only be one person. "Yeah. You're the school board superintendent. Melissa Sharpe. What, you here to back up your little peon?"

Sharpe snorted, clearly amused. "Quite the contrary, my dear girl. I came to make sure 'my little peon,' as you called him, didn't make a mess of things. Obviously, I didn't get here soon enough."

Slowly, the tension within Jane left, and her rigid shoulders began to slacken. "No, you didn't," she stated, then huffed out a breath. "If you people are so very desperate to be rid of me, I suppose I shouldn't fight you. Recommendation to any university I choose, huh? Fine. I'll let you know where I decide by the end of June. Besides, I was getting sick of this place anyway."

Gracefully vaulting herself from lean-laying on the desk to standing sure-footed on the floor, Jane walked out of the principal's office. As she passed Superintendent Sharpe, she gave a wink and a smirk. Then she left the school grounds at a leisurely pace, ignoring dirty looks from both security officers and teachers alike.

Walking down the street to her family's home, Jane scuffed her feet along the sidewalk, kicking a pebble or bottle cap every now and then, lost within her thoughts. "Worthless..." she murmured, a single tear tracking down her cheek. "I'll show them who's worthless..." Stopping suddenly, she tilted her head up to the sky and howled.

At that moment, as if in response to her pain, the skies opened up, and large, heavy raindrops fell from above.

"Great. Nothing's going right for me. I just had to wear a white t-shirt today. And these jeans will take forever to dry..." Indeed, Jane's t-shirt was quickly becoming transparent. And her motorcycle boots, while quite the fashion statement with ripped black jeans, quickly began filling with water, making a sploshing noise with every step she took. "God dammit, will anything go right today?"

At that moment, a BMW splashed through a particularly large puddle, creating a wave that further drenched Jane, as though to prove that no, nothing would be going her way on this day. Then, much to Jane's shock, the driver of the car hit the brakes, and climbed out. A lovely, dark-blonde, female driver.

"Oh, goodness! I really didn't see you until it was too late! You should be more careful in storms like this, visibility is very low! You could easily get struck by an inattentive driver, perhaps one who is changing CDs, or talking on the phone, or..." the girl, a year or two younger than Jane herself based on appearances, was talking, or rather rambling, nonstop. Jane quickly went from annoyed, to amused, to flustered, then back to annoyed.

"Hey, lady, how about instead of us standing in the middle of the road in the rain, talking about idiot drivers, you let me get going so I can get away from where I could be run over!"

The younger woman flushed. "I-I'm sorry. I get carried away. Can I offer you a ride to...To wherever you're going? It's the least I can do after, after, after drenching you?"

"Fine," Jane grumbled, marching over to the driver's side of the younger girl's vehicle.

Maura just stood there, confused. Surely this woman was not going to steal her car and leave her in the rain. Relief spread through her as she saw that the older female was only opening the door for her, a lovely gesture. Quickly, Maura got into the car.

"Thank you," she said as Jane shut the door and stomped over to the passenger side.

Once Jane was settled, she looked at the girl and her surroundings. Clearly, this girl was not from the same parts Jane was from.

"Wow," Jane whispered, "is this a BMW?"

"Yes," Maura answered simply. "My father gave it to me as a graduation gift. It is an older model though. I am Maura, by the way. Maura Isles."

"Rizzoli," was the reply. "Jane Rizzoli."

Maura thought the name was a very pleasant one, and it fit the woman well. "Where are you headed, Jane Rizzoli?"

"Hell," Jane replied sardonically.

Maura scrunched up her eyebrows. Maybe she had misheard the girl. She was speaking with a different accent than the prim and proper ones she was used to hearing. "Excuse me?"

"I said Hell," snapped the older of the two. "Everybody hates me and I'm going to burn in Hell for the rest of my life."

"Technically," the honey-haired woman began, "you would burn in Hell for the rest of your_ afterlife_. That is, if all of those teachings are to be believed, and I'm of the opinion that they aren't. Most likely, they were a bunch of tales invented to curb bad behavior in the maturing youth, much like fairytales and fables are used today."

Jane gaped. Here she was, in a car, a friggin' BMW, with a strange girl, and she was pouring out her every insecurity only to be told that her religion, the same religion that would persecute her for her lifestyle, was just a bunch of make believe bullshit.

Maura obviously did not notice, and it was not until a horn sounded from somewhere behind them that she continued talking, "Anyway, that is beside the point. Whether or not you believe you will go to Hell, and I can't imagine why anyone would want to believe that, I asked where you are going, now. Where would you like me to drive you?"

Without waiting for an answer, Maura pulled away from the curb she had be idling by.


	2. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: Hello, lovely people of the Rizzoli & Isles fandom! It's me, Nanny (aka SamanthaLisaWalkerfan101 aka RaynaDarkstorm's co-author)! My awesome co-writer decided to let ME post this chapter, because I pestered her endlessly about it. Haha. So here you go! All mistakes are mine. This whole "beta'ing" thing baffles me. I'm far too impatient to wait. I hope you'll still review though! It means the world to us to read your feedback (and a huge thank you goes to the people that reviewed, favorited, and alerted the story so far)! :)  
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_Disclaimer: As far as I know, neither of us owns Rizzoli & Isles. We just like to pretend we can make them do whatever we want._

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><p>An uncomfortable silence hung heavy within Maura's BMW. The only sounds came from the rain, splashing on the windshield and sloshing in the road whenever the vehicle would speed through a puddle. The quiet was awkward, although it was less so for Maura. Finally, Jane could not take it anymore. No matter the fact that she was pretty sure the younger girl had insulted her religion and possibly her intelligence, she could not just sit still and quiet. That was not what Jane Rizzoli did. Plus, there was the fact that she was currently riding around in a car with a complete and total stranger. Everything her parents and life taught her about stranger danger had been thrown out the window when she had climbed into the automobile, especially when the medium-blonde woman started to drive away.<p>

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, sneaking a glance at the driver.

"Wherever you want to go," Maura answered, seriously. She was very sorry that she had gotten this poor girl all filthy and wet. She knew she must be freezing. She turned up the heat, both ambient and seat warmers.

Jane did not respond for a while. She honestly had no clue where she wanted to go, or what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. She could not go home, not now, not when she had been kicked out from school. She was lost. Lost and confused. She would like nothing more than to be able to stay in this car for the rest of her miserable existence, just to escape the hell that was her life.

"I don't know where I want to go," she said finally, admitting more truth than she wanted to this perfect stranger.

Maura clearly did not get subtlety at all, for she took the statement at face value. "That is problematic. I don't suppose you want to come home with me, right?"

"Sheesh, woman," Jane said, finding comfort in being able to respond with indignation. "You don't even _know_ me. We're complete strangers! I can't go _home_ with _you_!

Maura was losing patience. She had things to do, and despite being absolutely sorry for troubling this woman, she could not waste anymore of her time. Through gritted teeth and a fake smile, she asked sweetly, "Then, Jane, where would you like for me to take you?"

Jane sighed deeply. She really had to get out of this car. "Home, I guess."

There was a pause. Maura was completely baffled, and she hated when people talked in circles like this. "But you _just_ said that you didn't want to go home with me."

Jane was taken aback. Could this woman be serious? "Maur, come on, don't give me that. I meant _my _home. Duh."

Maura felt relieved, and embarrassed, "Oh, well, how was I supposed to know that? I'm not a mind reader. Mind reading has been proven to be nonexistent. Obviously, if you meant for me to take you to _your _home, you could have said that. We have possessive pronouns for a reason."

Silence again. Jane really did not like how this girl, this younger girl, kept correcting her, especially when it seemed she was not even aware she was doing it, like it was a natural thing or something.

As Jane was pondering the strange behavior of the woman seated next to her, as well as the growing heat of her ass, Maura used the silence to self-reflect. She had always hated pet names. They never quite made sense to her. People were given a name for a reason, so that other people could address them that way. There was no point in nicknames. They were impractical. Certainly her parents had never called her anything other than "Maura" her entire life. Really, when she thought about it, the only person who had ever given her a pet name was one of her nannies, an old Irish woman would had taken to calling Maura "munchkin" when she was just a baby. Maura had liked the name back then, right up to the time she had seen _The Wizard of Oz_. Then she had become offended. She was certainly not a munchkin.

One night, in a rare moment, her mother had actually tucked Maura into bed and Maura had confessed that she disliked that her nanny still referred to her as a munchkin, when she was a perfectly healthy size for a five year old. Her mother had assured her that she was just the right size and they had snuggled, for perhaps the only time in Maura's entire life, and the next day her Irish nanny was nowhere to be found.

The only other experience she had with nicknames was when her peers at boarding school called her "Maura the bore-a." And, obviously, that bothered her. Not so much because it hurt, although it did at first, but because it did not even make sense. So, no, Maura Isles did not like pet names, at all. But she could not help the smile on her face when she heard Jane Rizzoli call her "Maur." She was not sure why, but she was oddly touched by the gesture. She had never really had any friends, and while she could by no means classify Jane as a friend, she enjoyed the fact that they seemed close enough to bestow pet names upon each other. Then there was the strange way that with Jane's accent, "Maur" sounded a lot like "more," which for some reason made Maura like it even better.

Knowing that Jane could not sit in her car forever, though, Maura decided to break the silence and ask, "So where do you live, Jane?"

Her question was not met with an answer, as she had hoped, but with more silence. Jane Rizzoli slouched in her seat and gazed out the passenger window. She did not want to take Maura into her neighborhood. It was not a bad neighborhood, but it was definitely not up to any of the high class standards Maura certainly would have held. And she certainly did not want to be spotted by any of the neighborhood boys. If she arrived in a BMW, they would surely never leave her alone. Not even just in a BMW, but in a BMW driven by someone as attractive as Maura Isles. Jane would be teased for months.

Of course, she could not remain silent eternally. Mumbling her answer, she said, "I live in Mattapan...In the ghetto."

Maura was not able to understand the Bostonian when she mumbled, so she had to ask, "Pardon me, what did you say?"

"In the _ghetto_, okay? _Mattapan_! Not even in Boston proper! You hear me now? You follow?" Jane's face showed her anger, though Maura could not see it. If she could, she'd have noticed how much more beautiful Jane was when she was enraged.

In fact, Maura even failed to notice the ire in Jane's voice. "Oh, that's not near here at _all_! What were you doing so far from home, standing in the rain?"

Jane snorted, then spoke softly, "I got kicked out of my school today. As in, 'Get your shit and get out _**now**_' kicked out. And y'know, I didn't even deserve it."

Gasping, Maura inquired, "Then how—why did they—I..."

Continuing as if Maura had never uttered a word on the matter, Jane said, "I mean, I did steal the final exam, but not the answers, just the test itself. I then answered it myself and sold crib sheets on the cheap to those kids that were gonna fail otherwise. And if rich kids wanted copies, they paid out the ass for 'em. I mean, they can afford it, right?"

Maura frowned at the term "rich kids" but merely waited for Jane to continue.

Jane finally turned to face Maura, a cocky grin gracing her face. "I made almost fifteen thousand bucks, you know. Fifteen thou for selling crib sheets! And in the end, they still couldn't pin a Go—uh, anything on me." Once more Jane grew somber. "The truth is, they would have found another way to get rid of me if not this. Even though I was the ideal student, great grades, student body president, captain of the softball team, debate team, none of it matters when...When you're what I am."

Maura waited briefly to see if Jane was going to continue on her own, then tilted her head and asked, "What do you mean, what you are? What _are _you, Jane?"

Jane's eyes widened in faux shock. "You mean, you can't tell just by looking at me? It wasn't obvious from minute one? I'm a damn, dirty dyke. You gonna throw me out of your car now?"

Maura stopped the car, and turned to the older girl, confusion was written clearly on her face. "Why would I throw you out of my car? It's still pouring, and we're still at least a forty-five minute drive from your neighborhood. After all, it is my fault that you got all muddy..."

Jane's surprise was genuine now. She had never come across a person like this. It was strange, but pleasantly so, for the moment. "You don't mind? It doesn't... Disgust you?"

Maura cocked her head even further to the side, looking much like a confused little puppy. "Why should it? You know, sexuality tends to fluid in humans, with both completely gay and completely straight being uncommon. I myself have been attracted to various members of both sexes since reaching sexual maturity."

"Are you... Are you trying to tell me you're..._ bi_?" Jane erupted into raucous laughter. "I love it! I get sideswiped and almost killed by a _bisexual _the same day I get expelled for being a lesbian!"

Indignant, Maura huffed, then began driving again. "I didn't say I was bisexual, I said my sexuality was fluid."

For reasons she didn't yet comprehend, Jane felt remorse. "Hey, listen, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to upset you, I just found the irony funny, is all. I mean, you're really cute, so..."

"Wait," Maura interrupted, flustered. "You think I'm cute?"

Jane took no time in answering. She was not shy, and telling a girl she was cute was something she was _really _good at, even if that girl happened to be a stuck up cheerleader. Everyone melted when faced with the Rizzoli charm. "Yeah, I do. Anyone with _eyes _would think you're cute, Maur."

Maura blushed and permitted herself a small grin, but being the person that she was, she could not leave it at that. "Why?"

The brunette quickly looked up in exasperation before slipping on her flirting mask. This girl was a challenge, a very pretty, sweet, weird challenge. Just the way Jane liked them.

"Well for starters, you're smart," Jane said, sensing that Maura prided herself on her intelligence. "Like crazy amounts of smart. I haven't met anyone nearly as smart as you, and I've met all sorts of different people! Seriously, the smartest person I know is me, and you're like a million times smarter and you don't even _care_. Like it's just who you are and you don't feel the need to show off. That's nice."

Jane looked at Maura and flashed her a grin. She knew Maura would not say anything in response though. Girls never did at this stage of the compliment game. They needed to be more buttered up, and Jane was a master at that. "But you're not only brains, ya see? You are drop dead gorgeous. I swear, if I hadn't been depressed about getting kicked out of school and soaking wet from all that rain, I'd have hit on you the moment I laid my eyes on you. You, my dear, are so beautiful, I can't even believe it. You know that stupid ass saying, 'Did it hurt when you fell from Heaven, angel?' _That's _a line I'd use with you, because it feels appropriate. Your beauty is angelic."

"So you think I'm cute because I'm intelligent and beautiful?" Maura asked, genuinely happy with the compliments. "However, you do realize that,speaking in Biblical terminology, angels were quite grotesque creatures. Angelology states that the most beautiful among them had multiple heads and wings, which is not very aesthetically appealing."

Taking the random bit of knowledge in stride, Jane just continued, "See, there you go again, using that big brain of yours like it's no big deal. It's very sexy, Maur. And, yes, I think that you're cute because you've got smarts and are beautiful, but also because you're kind and nonjudgmental. I mean, you didn't even hesitate to offer me a ride, 45 minutes out of your way, because you're so polite. Even when I told you that I'm a dyke. Most people I know, they'd have just kept on driving, or if they did stop, once they knew about me, they'd have kicked me out and left me stranded."

"Oh, Jane," Maura said, "you must know some awful people. And, really, this is the least I can do. I did almost run you over, after all."

"And this need to make that near-death experience up to me is adorable," Jane said, resuming the light tone of conversation. "My hero."

At this Maura laughed, something she was not accustomed to doing. Seeing Jane bat her eyelashes in a very comical manner, however, just made her laugh all the more.

Jane, feeling smug, had Maura right where she wanted her. "So, babe, there you have it. I think you're cute."

"Thank you," Maura said, and it was clear that she actually meant it. "Now, which way is your house?"

Jane was caught off guard for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, she thought that she would have gotten a better response from Maura yet she found that she was completely satisfied with the thanks she had received. Second, she could not believe they had reached her neighborhood as quickly as they had.

"Damn, that was fast," she said, looking around. "I live over that way. 63 Hillsboro Rd, Mattapan, MA 02126. Born and raised."

The blonde steered the car in the direction that Jane gestured, feeling sad that her time with the other girl was quickly approaching an end. She didn't want the remaining time she had to be spent in silence. She needed to keep Jane talking. Her husky voice was quite soothing to Maura, and she found she quite enjoyed hearing it.

"What did you do with the money?" she asked.

"What money?" Jane asked in response, confused.

"The money that you _earned _from selling those 'crib sheets'?" Maura clarified. "What did you do with it?"

Jane smiled then, feeling particularly proud of herself. "I put half of it away for savings, you know, to pay for college. My pop's a plumber, raising three kids, and ma's a housewife. We don't have any cash to send us anywhere after high school. I mean, I'm relying on getting a good scholarship, but I have to have some money saved away. Just in case. I'm looking into Ivy League and that shit's expensive."

"I'm looking into Boston Cambridge University, myself," Maura said happily. "Very tough to get into, but my father is an alumnus. He says BCU is a great school."

"And I bet it is," Jane said, looking over at Maura's dreamy expression. "And they'd be damned lucky to get you."

Maura blushed, "Thanks. I hope so. But, anyway, what did you do with the other half of the money, the half you didn't put into savings?"

"Oh, well," Jane began, "I have two younger brothers, right? And they look up to me. God knows why, but they do. So I took the rest of the money and paid for them to go to this fancy smancy summer camp. It has _everything_. I'm serious. Baseball training with the pros for Tommy, and some one on one mentoring from some cops for Frankie. Kid has it in his mind that he wants to be a cop, a hero. So I figured this camp would be the best thing for them, seeing as how they're both almost grown and haven't been anywhere other than _here. _Plus, they'll get to stay together yet still be able pursue the things that interest them. I bought 'em some new clothes and stuff too, so they wouldn't feel embarrassed being around people with money. Best part is, though, that I still have a couple thou left. Don't tell them, because they'll never let me hear the end of it, but I'm thinking I'll give 'em each a hundred or so dollars for spending money so that they can have some fun."

As Jane finished saying this, she shrugged, like such a kind gesture was no big deal. That it was normal for a sister to pay thousands of dollars for her brothers to attend a summer camp that would help cultivate their interests, when her parents were not able to afford the luxury. Sure, the money may have been obtained through measures that were not ideal, but it was almost like Robin Hood. Maura smiled at the thought.

"That's really sweet of you, Jane," she said, pulling to a stop in front of a decent sized house that looked well-lived in. "We're here."

"Oh," Jane said, sighing, "guess we are. Thanks for the ride. And sorry for the trouble. I know that my house is really out of your way and all."

Jane unbuckled her seat belt and reached into her pocket for some cash to compensate Maura for the inconvenience. As she started to hand over a few bills, she felt Maura's hand on her own. The touch sent thrills through her, although she wasn't sure why.

"Keep it," Maura said, smiling. "Give it to your brothers. It was my pleasure. You're pretty nice, Jane Rizzoli, and meeting you was a very enjoyable experience."

Jane smirked, and before she realized just exactly what she was doing, she leaned in and kissed Maura. It was awkward at first, with Maura's hand still on her own, arm extended between them. But soon the two seemed to find a balance and they each melted into the kiss. It was chaste, as far as kisses go, with only lips to lips contact. Yet it seemed to have sent a jolt of electricity through both of their bodies.

With her heart pounding hard, Jane pulled back. She didn't even take the time to look at Maura, suddenly feeling embarrassed. The girl was way out of her league and she knew it. Saying a quick goodbye, she practically jumped out of the car, leaving a stunned Maura Isles in her wake.

As Jane bounded into her home, Maura sat surprised. She brought her hand, the same one that had been on Jane's just a moment earlier, to her mouth. Her fingers lightly grazed her still moist lips. After a moment more, she pulled away from the house and drove back the direction she had come in. Maybe as she was going about her errands the rest of the day, she'd have time to ponder the events that had just transpired. And she was certainly going to have to think about _this. _

Maura Isles had never been kissed before.


	3. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: It's me again! Nanny! My dear, beloved co-author is feeling under the weather so she allowed me the privilege of posting this chapter for you. I would hope, then, that you would return her trust in me by submitting a crazy amount of reviews and get well soon messages. :)_

_Disclaimer: We do not own Rizzoli & Isles, but OH MY GOD DID YOU WATCH THE SUMMER FINALE? THAT WAS THE MOST INTENSE, AMAZING...I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE...YOU NEED TO WATCH AND REWATCH THAT EPISODE UNTIL YOUR TV AND DVR BREAK IT WAS SOOOOO GOOD!_

_PS. This has not been beta'd, and all mistakes are mine...but can you blame me after that seriously fantastic, mind-blowing, crazy brilliant thing that Janet Tamaro has the gall to call an "episode" of Rizzoli & Isles? That was like...like...an EPICSODE! ;)  
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><p>Three weeks later, Maura Isles was walking towards her academic adviser's office. She had been accepted to Boston Cambridge University, into the Honors Program, at just sixteen years old. She had graduated at the top of her class in a very prestigious boarding school in Paris, two years ahead of the other girls her age, and now she was officially the youngest student to ever attend BCU. Her parents could not be happier. School would not be in session for another month, but Maura had been assigned an academic adviser the moment she had enrolled. BCU wanted Maura to feel as comfortable on campus as possible, for fear that the brilliant young girl would leave them in favor of another university like Harvard or Yale.<p>

As such, Maura had already become accustomed to walking around the campus, having taken numerous tours even before she had been accepted. She had also grown quite used to seeing her academic adviser, Dean Matthew Willingham, almost every day. She had a lot of questions about college life, after all. For his part, Dean Willingham did not mind the constant visitations of Miss Isles, nor those of her overbearing parents. He was an older member of the faculty, pushing sixty-three years old, and he had come to regard Maura as a granddaughter. Taking her under his wing, he only wanted the best for the young lady.

Finally reaching the Admissions Building, Maura fully intended to walk right into his office, like she had any other time she came to visit. However, this time, his secretary, a portly woman that went by the name of "Paula Urstwell", stopped her.

"Good to see you again today, Miss Isles!" Urstwell greeted her. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Maura said, taken aback. "I would really like to speak with Dean Willingham now,  
>though."<p>

"I know, honey," the secretary said, "but he's in a meeting right now and you'll just have to wait. Would you like some tea? Or coffee, perhaps?"

Maura wrinkled her brow in confusion, "A meeting? School does not start again for at least a month. I thought I was the only one that came to visit him."

"Oh, yes, dear," Paula said, smiling, as she fixed Maura some tea without waiting for an answer. "Usually, you are, but today a rather surly young lady came in here, demanding to speak with him. Here you go."

Maura accepted the offered tea with a resigned expression on her face, "Okay, I'll wait then."

Paula Urstwell showed Maura to a lovely black leather chair, and sat back down behind her desk. She had observed the girl each time she had come to call on Dr. Willingham. She was smart, a genius even, or so she heard from her colleagues and in whispered conversations between the board members as the deliberated offering her admission to the university. But there was something about the girl that seemed a little sad to the secretary, like she was lonely and needed some company.

"So what brings you in here today?" she asked the teen.

"Excuse me?" Maura asked. She had been concentrating on other issues while she waited.

"I asked you why you were here today, dear," Paula said. "You're in here so often and yet I don't think we've ever spoken. Dr. Willingham speaks very highly of you, though."

"Oh," Maura smiled, "I'm here to ask him about my living situation. As you know, I am only sixteen so the university was reluctant to allow me to dorm here. However, my mother pointed out that I had been living in Paris for six years at boarding school, so I would know how to cope with living with a variety of different girls."

"Okay," Urstwell began with a sparkle in her eyes, "so you're here to talk to the good doctor about which sororities have the best parties, huh?"

"I don't...Parties?" Maura cocked her head to the side, her confusion evident. "I didn't realize that that was something to consider before joining. I was more interested in which had the best academic standings."

"Of course you were, hun," the busybody of a secretary said with a wink.

Flustered, Maura rose from her seat. "Would you please excuse me? I need to freshen up some."

"You go right ahead, dear. The powder room's..." But before she could finish her sentence, Maura was out of the waiting area and on her way down the hall.

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><p>Returning from the bathroom, Maura sat back down in a chair, this one further from Paula Urstwell's desk and closer to Dean Willingham's office. She pulled a novel out of her purse to ensure that the kindly woman would leave her alone. Settling down to read, Maura could not help, with the new silence, but overhear the conversation taking place in the next room, the Dean's office.<p>

"Very impressive grades," the unmistakable voice of the dean traveled to Maura's ears. "All of your courses were AP courses, and not only did you earn an A+ in all of them, but you scored perfect on the exams. Well done! You also have a very high recommendation from the principal, Mr. Lochless, _and _one from the superintendent of your area. Lots of volunteer work and a wide-ranging field of extracurricular activities. You appear to be the perfect student, Miss Rizzoli."

Maura gasped. Surely it could not be the same Rizzoli that had kissed her twenty-one days earlier.

"Thank you, Doctor Willingham," said a voice that proved Maura wrong. It was, in fact, the voice of Jane Rizzoli. "I try my best. I was just wondering what it would take for me to come here. I heard about Boston Cambridge University somewhere and the name kind of stuck. I decided to look into it, and one look at your campus told me I was home."

"That is a very nice thing to hear," the dean said, the smile on his face evident in his tone. "It seems to me, and as the one that makes the final call on all students seeking admission, that all you would have to do to gain acceptance is to submit a formal application. You would definitely be an asset and BCU would love to have you here as a student and part of our family."

"As great as that sounds," Jane began, nervousness edging itself into her voice, "I don't believe that will necessarily be the case. You see, I'm broke. My family's broke."

"That won't be as much of a problem as you may think, dear," Willingham said. "Boston Cambridge University has many alumni who have graciously donated a lot of funding for people such as yourself. There are quite a few scholarships that you are really competitive for and plenty of financial aid that will also help supplement your entire tuition, including books fees, room and board, and a dining option."

"I wouldn't have to live here," Jane said, gratitude in her voice. "I can ride the bus."

"Nonsense!" Willingham laughed. "We would want you here. You would no doubt enrich our campus greatly. Now, as much as I would like to sit here with you and discuss possible scholarships, including those for sports, if you're willing to play on the collegiate level, I must cut our meeting short. It is nearing one o'clock and I have an advisee that usually shows up at this time. Sweet girl. You would like her."

"Okay," Jane said, getting up, "I'll leave then. Should I come back to discuss my options for scholarships or just send in an application and figure the rest out later?"

"No, why don't you stay?" Willingham asked. "I can introduce you to Maura, maybe you'll become friends. Who knows, right? And, yes, later we must schedule another meeting. You should apply for scholarships as soon as possible."

"Um, alright," Jane said, sitting back down.

"Good, I'll go see if I can find her," the dean said, getting up and walking outside of his office. He returned momentarily with a put out looking Maura Isles.

"Jane, dear," he said, gesturing to the girl trying to hide, unsuccessfully, behind him, "this is Maura Isles. Maura, this is Jane Rizzoli. She's interested in attending BCU. Isn't that great?"

"Yes," Maura replied meekly, "just wonderful. It is a pleasure to meet you, Jane."

"You too," Jane said, standing up and offering her hand to the girl.

"For the first time," stated Maura, grasping the taller girl's hand to the point of pain.

"Yes... The first time..." Jane quirked an eyebrow. Disengaging her hand, she turned to the Dean. "I'll be on my way now, Dean Willingham. It was a pleasure meeting you, and I'm very pleased to be considered for application here. Looking forward to meeting with you again to discuss scholarships." And with that, she made a hasty exit, barely glancing at Maura on her way out.

Maura was _crushed_. The person who had given her her very first kiss one rainy day those weeks ago not only never sought her again, but now acted as though _nothing had ever happened_. She felt as though she was going to burst into tears. "Pardon me, Dean Willingham," she shakily murmured, "but I just remembered I had something to do." Rushing out of the office as tears began to form, she made it halfway down the hall when she spied her. _Jane_.


	4. Chapter 3

Authors' Notes: Well hello there! It is I, RaynaDarkstorm, finally posting another chapter! If there's any mistakes here, they're all mine. SamanthaLisaWalkerfan101 didn't get a chance to go over this before I posted. Also, she's probably going to murder me for deviating from the outline again. Still, it's up! Yay!

Disclaimer: I don't own Rizzoli & Isles. SamanthaLisaWalkerfan101 doesn't own it either. It's a tragic fact of life that we don't always get what you want...

Quickly wiping her eyes and composing herself, Maura walked at a fast, albeit still ladylike pace in order to catch up to Jane. "Jane! Jane Rizzoli! You really don't remember me, do you? Not at all."

Jane studied her critically. "No. Should I?"

Hot tears formed once again. This time however, rage was beginning to back them. "I would certainly hope so..."

"Why? Because you're well-to-do? Able to get in to a college like this with no trouble? Or did I leave something out."

"Three weeks ago." Maura rebutted.

"Three weeks ago? Oh. Right. Well, okay. Yeah." Jane's expression left no doubt she remained clueless.

"You really don't. Not even a little bit." That same feeling, that same crushing feeling returned to Maura's chest. Her first kiss had meant nothing to the one that had given it to her, less than nothing, so little that she was not even remembered.

Jane noticed the hurt in Maura's face immediately. "Hey, that doesn't mean we can't start from scratch. I mean, you seem like a really sweet gal, and you're really cute. Why don't we grab a drink sometime? Get to know each other a bit."

Maura barely restrained herself from snorting at Jane's suggestion. "Please, I won't be falling for that line again."

"Line? What line?" Jane looked at her, puzzled.

"You honestly have no clue who I am, do you?" Maura asked simply, fighting back tears.

Jane shook her head. "No, I'm real sorry, but I don't."

With Jane's answer, the tears she had been trying to suppress came falling down with a vengeance. "Three weeks ago... You... And the rain... And you didn't call... And I was sure I'd never see you again... But you're here, and you don't remember! And I..." Sobbing, Maura collapsed to the floor, as recognition finally struck Jane.

Jane looked down at the crying girl on the floor in front of her, sympathy in her eyes, "Three weeks ago, the day I got booted from school. You're that hot-erm, nice girl that offered me a ride home."

"Yes," Maura said, sniffling, "that's who I am. That's why you should have recognized me."

"Hey, hey," Jane said, crouching down and rubbing the other girl's arms in an effort to silence her sobbing, "I'm sorry. Really, I am. It's just that, for the past three weeks, I've been trying to forget you."

Offended, Maura jerked away from Jane's touch. "Forget me? Why? I didn't do anything to _you! _You, however-"

Jane cut Maura off, "No, it's not like that. See, Maur, that day was a terrible day for me. I got thrown out of school for being me, something I can't change, something that I don't want to change. I like who I am, and it seemed no one else did, except my family, and even they had trouble coming to terms with it at first. Then I was almost killed my some maniac driver, speeding through the rain." She winked at Maura, trying to get the girl to laugh. "Then that same maniac stopped her car and got out, and I saw the most beautiful girl I'd ever laid my eyes on. That same girl drove me home, way out of her way, by the way. She drove me home, and I kissed her. But I ran away. I don't ever run away, but I ran away from her as fast as I could because she was out of my league. You understand? So I tried to forget about her, forget about you, because I know that I could never have you. And for about a week and a half, I couldn't do it. All I kept thinking about, all I kept dreaming about was you and that kiss. Then, suddenly, the memory became a little hazy, then it grew hazier until I was left with only the idea that it happened. Not a solid memory, just the way I felt. So, no, I didn't recognize you in there and I'm truly sorry for that. Can you forgive me?"

Throughout Jane's explanation, Maura's expression ran the gamut from sadness to shock. "You think I'm out of your league?"

Jane's eyes widened. "You mean, you're not? But... You're wealthy, and gorgeous, and I'm sure you have better options than me!"

Maura shook her head cutely."No, since I achieved sexual maturity, and since realizing I was interested in all genders, no one ever looked twice at me. You... You were the first person to show interest. The first person to kiss me. The first... The first to make me feel wanted! I.."

Jane interrupted. "Look, here isn't really the place for this. You wanna get out of here? I know a place we could go..."

"Go? With you?" Maura, cautiously optimistic, nodded her head. "All right. My car is out front."

-

With Jane giving directions, they made it to a shadier, seedier side of town in record time. Stopping in front of a building with a single violet door and a fluorescent sign reading "LES BAR" to mark it as a place of business. Otherwise, it looked remarkably like a run down, abandoned warehouse.

"Jane... What sort of place is this?" Maura was clearly out of her element.

Jane got out of the car, and swaggered over to the open driver's side door, which she leaned on as she spoke to Maura, still seated inside. "Relax, Maur. It's a nice low-class establishment for people like me, where no one asks questions, and people leave well enough alone. I kinda like it here, and it's a nice quiet place to talk."

Helping Maura from the car, Jane led Maura inside of the bar. It was like a normal bar, mellow music, pool tables, dart boards, plenty of patrons since it was a Friday. However, there was one difference, a difference that Maura was quick to note.

"Jane," she whispered, an urgent tone in her voice, "why aren't there any guys here?"

"You didn't honestly think I'd bring you to a place where you'd fall for some hot guy, right?" asked Jane. "Gotta keep the competition low."

"Competition? What is being competed for?" Confused Maura was confused. And adorably so.

Jane looked at her, feigning shock, "You mean you don't know?"  
>"N-no, I... You mean me?" The slight squeak at the end of Maura's reply made her all the more the picture of the cute, flustered girl with a crush. Jane was very mush on her game tonight.<p>

Jane smiled broadly. "Hey, can I buy you a drink?" she asked.

She was totally unprepared for Maura's answer, though. "Yes, please. If you could, I'd like a nice Bordeaux?"

"Whoa, girl, you have expensive tastes! I can handle it though. I'll be right back, okay? Don't move. Not a single inch!" Jane winked at Maura, then swaggered up to the bar.

Maura watched Jane from where she sat, absorbing the taller woman's ease of social interactions, watched her joke with other bar patrons, the bartender... In fact, so intent was she on Jane that she didn't notice the strange girl's approach until she was already in Maura's face.

"Just who do you thing you are, **bitch?**" Short, reddish-blonde, and obnoxious summed up this girl neatly.

"I'm sorry?" Maura wasn't sure what was happening, but her first instinct was to run. Run far, and run fast.

"You _should_ be sorry! Why are you here with my **girlfriend?**"

"Your..." Comprehension dawned, and Maura's heart broke all over again. "Jane..."

"Sandra? Why are you here?" Jane, drinks in hand, frowned at the latest development.

"I have to go!" Maura blurted, then ran for the door.

"Maura! Wait!" Called Jane. But she was already gone.


	5. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: We're back! Now, obviously, neither of us owns Rizzoli & Isles...BUT we do own all the mistakes in this chapter. ;)_

_Please review! You have NO idea how much effort I put forth in trying to get RaynaDarkstorm to contribute to this short little piece of whatever. Seriously, it was like pulling teeth...from a person who lives a million miles away...insane, pointless, hard, frustrating, challenging, and...impossible. So please, I would really appreciate it if you'd drop us a line or two with your opinion of how it turned out. Good? Bad? I encourage you to complain, actually, very vocally so that I can shove all of your complaints in her face so that she might feel more encouraged to help me write more. :)_

_~Love~_

_Nanny_

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><p>Running out of the bar as fast as her legs could carry her, Maura tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to flood down her face. She refused to cry over <em>Jane Rizzoli <em>again. She could not believe that she had been so naive, so gullible. The kiss, her first kiss, might have meant a lot to her, but it was clear that Jane did not hold the same sentiment.

She finally reached her car, out of breath from the quick pace she had taken and the effort of trying to keep her tears at bay. She opened the door and slumped down in the driver's seat. In the confined space, all alone, she allowed the tears she had so desperately attempted not to cry out.

"How could I be _so _stupid?" she asked herself aloud as she beat the steering wheel. "I'm supposed to be a genius, but I just keep falling for her lines! I don't even know her! Gosh, I am really just...I can't believe...and I could just...I'm-"

"Mad?" a muffled voice issued from somewhere on her left.

Maura looked up, wondering where that voice belonged to. Glancing out the window, she saw Jane, the last person she wanted to see at that moment, or for the rest of her life.

"Go away," she demanded, loud enough to be heard through the still rolled up window, as she valiantly tried to wipe all evidence of tears from her now makeup streaked face.

"Hey," Jane said in a tone that strangely comforted Maura, "I just want to talk. Let me explain, please?"

Sensing that Jane would not go away, and kind of wanting an explanation, Maura slowly rolled down her window.

"Go ahead then," she said, her tone neutral and calm.

"Well, okay, look," Jane said, a bit miffed at Maura's cold demeanor. "That girl in there, Sandra, I met her last week. We hooked up, but it meant nothing. She's _not _my girlfriend. She's just...Sandra."

"That's it?" Maura asked, appalled. "_That _is your explanation?"

"Yeah," answered Jane. "What more do you want?"

Maura looked at the woman before her with an expression bordering disgust, like Jane was a piece of unsavory refuse that had turned up on her perfectly manicured lawn.

"Nothing," she said sweetly. "I want absolutely _nothing _more to do with you. Goodbye, Jane. I'm assuming that Sandra can take you home, or another person you have 'hooked up' with. I know I drove you here, but since you seem to be a regular patron, I have faith that you can find your way back home."

Her monologue complete, Maura rolled up her window. Barely waiting for Jane to move out of the way, she sped out of the parking lot.

The tall brunette was left speechless. No one had ever up and left her like that. It mad her sad. The rejection she could handle. She had been rejected countless times. But the look of disgust on Maura's face as she sped away only confirmed what Jane had thought ever since she had met the girl. She was _way _out of her league.  
>"And here I thought she liked me," she said as she made her way back to the bar. She was going to need to down something a lot stronger than a few beers to make herself feel better.<p>

As she reentered the establishment, she was accosted by Sandra.

"What the _hell _was that?" asked the other woman. "And who the hell do you think you are, running out on me with that...that bi-"

"Amazing woman," Jane growled. "Maura is way better than you'll ever be, Sandra. Now get out of my face."

"If she's so good, Rizzoli," Sandra spat out the last name, "why ain't she with ya, huh?"

"That's exactly why she 'ain't' with me! She's too good. She's the most perfect girl ever to walk this Earth, and," Jane choked back her tears, "And she thinks I'm slime. And she's right. I'll never be good enough for her."

Sandra was stunned into silence. Mouth open, she watched as Jane went up to the bar, slammed a few quick shots, settled her tab, then stormed out. Finally, Sandra uttered a single word. "Fuck."

* * *

><p>Outside, Jane screamed the same, single-syllable word. "FUCK!" She slammed her fists again and again into the side of the warehouse LES BAR used as a, well, lesbian bar. Blinded by rage and self-hatred, she pummeled the outer wall until her hands bled. Finally stopping, exhausted, she stood panting, body dripping with sweat, blood trickling down her hands.<p>

Just then, Jane looked up. She saw a faint green glow on the side of the building. The glow grew brighter and larger. Jane turned around. She saw nothing, just the nearly empty parking lot. She moved her glance to the sky, and that's when she saw it. A spaceship, exactly like in all of those alien movies she had watched as a child, was floating in the heavens above her.

"Oh my God," she murmured. But she didn't move, didn't try to run away. This was what she wanted, what she needed, an escape.

She opened her arms, prepared to be embraced by the glowing light...

...And woke up in an ambulance. Someone had put something _unusual _in one of her drinks, and she'd OD'd without even realizing she'd been taking large amounts of GHB.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" a voice came from somewhere in the brightness. "How do you feel?"

Jane tried to squint, to see through the blinding light that was being shined directly into her face. "I feel fantastic, really, I _love_ not being able to see."

"Oh, sorry," the voice said, coming closer as the light was dimmed. "My name is Noela, and I'll be your EMT tonight. You suffered a minor head wound and your hands are all bloody. You were found roughly fifty-four minutes earlier by an unsavory woman named 'Sandra' out in the alley She called 911 and we showed up forty minutes ago. I know that it may be hard to talk about, but I have to ask and I need an honest answer. What happened to you back there?"

Jane blinked. The words, they were coming out too fast for her to comprehend. Her brain was trying to focus on the light, which had at first blinded her and now was so dark she barely noticed it. As she regained her eyesight, she inspected the woman claiming to be an EMT.

Jane's mouth felt thick. "You... Angel... You must be... you must be divine." Her drug-addled mind could only draw one conclusion from the vision before her. Beauty beyond description, coupled with a glowing halo surrounding her countenance, meant that the woman before her clearly had to be an angel. She resisted an urge to reach out and stroke the divine creature's face, but only because she figured it was poor form to touch an angel.

"Sorry sweetheart, but I'm no angel. I am, however, going to do my best to keep you from meeting some real angels tonight." Glancing down at her patient, then looking to her clipboard, she began making notes as she spoke them out loud. "Patient, identified on scene as Jane Rizzoli, approximately 20 years of age. Pupil dilation abnormal. Motor responses," here she picked up Jane's hand, lifted, and then dropped it. "Sluggish. Apparent overdose. Also, major abrasions to the knuckles of both hands, as well as a laceration to the top rear of the skull."

"'M not twenty..." Jane slurred out. She could feel her mind slipping away, just out of reach. "I'm nintee... Nineteen. 'Nn, din't take anythin... Don't do drugs. Drugsss... Drugses're baaaaad..." Jane began to giggle. "Bad, bad, bad, bad... Juss like me!" She shivered. "I'm ssso cold..."

Noela quickly realized Jane was getting shocky. Moving quickly, she added a potent cocktail of meds to Jane's IV. Then, she covered her patient with an electric blanket, set on the lowest setting, so as not to further shock her system. "Jane. Jane! Come on, stay with me Jane. You can do it, just stick it out a little longer..." Slowly, Jane's tremors subsided. "We gotta find out what's in you, lady...If we don't find out soon, things are gonna get real rough, real fast."

"Dinksss.. Drinss.. Drink some. Shoss." Jane giggled. "Shossesses..." Suddenly, Jane began to shudder once more. This time, the shudders transformed into a whole-body wracking tremor.

"Shit! She's coding! Goddamn it!"

Jane's last thought, as she shut her eyes, was that her lovely angel Noela was sad, just like Maura, the girl who hated her. She wanted to weep, but she was just so tired...


	6. Chapter 5

_Author's Note: Nanny here. I want you all to know that I wrote this chapter solo. Any mistakes and/or events that upset you are all my fault. Please review though! :) _

_PS. I really like Maura's dad._

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><p>Maura cautiously tiptoed down the corridor leading to the large room her parents set aside for entertaining. A hour previously she had been in her room, quietly sobbing over the loss of Jane as she obsessively reorganized her books and supplies for school. Half an hour later, her mother had come into her room, demanding that she stop this nonsense and get dressed. She had a party to attend, full of guests that wished to congratulate her on her latest academic accomplishment. Fifteen minutes after that, she was fully dressed in the outfit that had been laid out for her, makeup applied, and a false smile plastered to her face. Now she was walking, slowly, to the party. Her parents' party. It might have been thrown to honor her, but she knew that it was just another excuse for her parents to brag. She hardly ever knew anybody at these parties, and she had a feeling that this one would not be any different.<p>

Upon entering the room, Constance Isles swept her up in a hug.

"Everyone, everyone," the elder woman said loudly, "she has finally decided to grace us with her presence. May I present my lovely daughter, Maura, the genius!"

And with a hearty chuckle, her mother gestured to Maura, whom she still had in a half-hug. The gathered crowd gave a smattering of applause, and then it was all over. The party resumed, as did the cheerful conversations about business gains and social hierarchy.

Her father appeared out of nowhere, rescuing Maura from her mother. "Maura, dear, come with me for a minute. You don't mind, do you, Constance, if I steal our baby girl for just a second?"

"Not at all, dear," her mother breezily answered as she quickly departed to find a group of people that she could brag to, leaving Maura alone with her father.

Silently, as was his custom, her father led her to his study. It was quiet there, her father's sanctuary. The room was quite large, almost like a private library. It was full of books. Maura had only been in this room a handful of times. It was her father's special place, and when he brought her in here, it meant something important was about to be said.

As soon as the door was closed and the noise from the party drowned out by the thick oak, her father sat down behind his desk, gesturing for Maura to take a seat at the opposite side.

"Maura," he began, his voice gruff yet soothing, "you're growing up. I know you don't need me to tell you that, but it's true. It seems like just yesterday, you're mother and I were bring you home. You were just a baby. So small, so fragile. Now you're older, no longer my baby girl. You're my daughter. You will always be my daughter. You just aren't my baby. My little girl, all grown up, and off to college. You know, I thought I'd have a few more years."

Her father chuckled, and quieted. Maura sat, silent, waiting. Whatever he was going to say, he would say it. He always did like to take his time.

Eventually, he spoke, his voice reminiscent, "Do you remember the first time I brought you into this room?"

"Yes," Maura said easily. "I was eight."

Her father smiled, glad that she remembered. He never doubt that she would, of course. His Maura had an excellent memory. "Yes, you were eight. You were also pestering your mother with questions whose answers she hadn't bothered to memorize. Do you remember? You kept asking her about the human body. I thought it was cute, until she turned you on me."

Maura blushed, the memory very clear in her mind. She had been asking her mother where babies came from. Her mother had told her an abbreviated version, much like what gets told to most curious children. When a mommy and a daddy love each other very much, they decide to have a child. That was it. Love. Then Maura asked if it was love that brought her into the world, and her mother had quickly answered yes before answering the door to greet some of her country club friends. But Maura was not done with the questions, and her mother lost her patience. That is when Maura learned she was adopted.

Constance, not used to dealing with a crying and confused child, passed her daughter to her husband. He always did seem to understand her better. Maura remembered her father carrying her to his study, the room they were now sitting in, her father's special place. He sat down in his chair, with her on his lap, and explained everything. How she was adopted, why she was adopted, and that she was still very loved. Maura had asked about how she came to be, then, if it was not her parents' love that had brought her into existence. That is when she learned about sex.

"You gave me a copy of _Gray's Anatomy,_" she said, at last.

"I let you _borrow _my copy," her father corrected with a laugh. "It took you a week to finish reading it, and I know you read it. When you returned the book, it was covered in all of your precise and accurate notes. My little genius."

Her father stood up then and walked over to the bookshelf in the far corner of the room, quickly pulling out the aforementioned book and returning to his seat. He slid the worn out copy across the desk towards his daughter.

"Go on," he prodded. "Open it. You were quite the insightful child."

Maura tentatively reached out and took the book. She opened it, as per her father's instructions, and began reading some of the annotations she had made in it when she was younger. Her handwriting was near perfect cursive, and her notes were detailed yet concise. She spent a few minutes flipping through the pages, reading, before she stopped and looked up at her father.

"Why are you showing me this?" she asked, confusion obvious in her tone.  
>"I want you to know that I kept it," her father said. "Just like I kept everything else you have ever given me."<p>

With that he opened one of his desk drawers, one Maura knew that he kept locked. Rummaging through the drawer for a few moments, he eventually pulled out a lock box. He set the box on the desk, and unlocked it as well.

"Here," her father said, carefully removing items from the box. "Some of your drawings from when you were little. A few story stories and poems. Your report cards. Gosh, you were always so proud. It made me happy to see you like that, full of smiles. A few first places ribbons. Pictures. It's not much, I admit. Your mother did something with most of it. Your trophies, as you know, are on display in the foyer. But I thought you should know that I have some of this."

Maura did not question him. She was touched that he had saved anything of hers, let alone a whole box full, even if it was a small box.

"May I?" she asked, reaching out a hand for one of the drawings.

"Of course, of course. It's yours after all," her father smiled.

She picked up a small picture she had drawn when she was just three years old. It was a picture of her family. In it were three people: her, her mom, and her dad. They all had huge smiles on their faces.

"I remember this," she said, her voice distant. "We went to the zoo."

"Yes, the London Zoo," her father chuckled. "Your mother had a fit because the place stunk so terribly it was 'offensive that they make people pay to breathe this air', but when she saw your face light up, she was quiet. You were just so interested in the animals and so excited that she couldn't say anything. She just watched you and smiled."

The two sat there then, just remembering. It had been a good day, sunny, warm. And they had been a good family, happy, close.

"Anyway," her father said, interrupting the silence, "I brought you in here to say that your mother and I love you, very dearly, Maura. We just have a hard time showing it. Your mother and I are very busy, you know this, but that doesn't mean we don't love you. We care about you. We just tend to demonstrate that care differently than most people, and I'm sorry. So, when you go off to college, very soon now, please know that any time, day or night, you can call one or both of us and we'll be there as soon as we can, to help you with whatever you need. Just like in Paris, I will always be here for you, even if it means 'kidnapping' you from your bed and taking you out for ice cream in the middle of the night."

Maura smirked. Her father never was one to play by the rules, and he _had _always been there for her, whenever she needed him. He was her playmate, her buddy, her only friend.

"Thank you, Daddy," she said. "I love you too."

"I know you do, kiddo," her father said, standing up and walking around his desk. He swept his daughter up in a hug. "That's also why I need you to know that you can talk to me about anything. Anything, I swear. I won't judge. I won't criticize. I won't even say anything if you don't want me to, but I know that sometimes it helps if you just talk to someone, let it out."

Maura tilted her head up to look at her father, "What do you mean?"

He sighed, "Maura, dear, why were you in your room crying?"

"Oh," she said and slunk back down in her chair, away from her father's embrace. "Nothing, really."

He looked at her, disbelieving, "Now, I know you can't lie, but I also know that you have mastered the art of bending the truth. Come on. Anything. Please tell me what was bothering you so."

"Father," Maura said, reluctance heavy in her voice, "it's nothing, really. Not anymore. It was stupid. _I _was stupid."

"You can never be stupid," her father smiled at her. "It's not in your nature. What's wrong?"

"It's Jane," she admitted.

"Who's Jane?" her father asked, no hint of judgement.

"Just this girl I met," Maura said, anger creeping into her voice, as she started speaking more rapidly. "She...I...we kissed, and it was my first. It meant a lot. To me anyway, it meant a lot. It didn't seem to mean much to her, and I saw her at BCU, and she said that she cared. She said she liked me, then we went to a bar and her girlfriend came up and I got so mad I ran away. But then Jane came out and she said that it wasn't what it looked like. I just...I couldn't take it anymore, and I drove away."

"You kissed?" her father asked, curiously. "This Jane person? And you went to a bar?"

"Well, I mean, Jane kissed me, kind of," Maura said. "I drove her home a few weeks ago and when I dropped her off she just kissed me, and then she ran away. And, yes, we went to a bar, but I didn't drink anything."

_I never got the chance, _she thought.

"And you like this Jane?" he asked.

"Yes, well, I did," Maura answered. "But I don't anymore. I can't."

"Well, honey," he sighed, "as trite as it may sound, you just have to follow your heart. You'll know if Jane is right for you, and you'll also know if someone else is. Love takes time. Love takes trust. And most importantly, love takes commitment. You'll find the person that you can trust and commit to in time, and then you'll know if you love them. Just be patient."

Just then the moment was broken up by Constance Isles' entrance into her husband's private study.

"Oh there you two are!" the elder woman said. "I've been looking for you everywhere! Maura, come with me. There's someone I want you to meet!"

Constance quickly swept her daughter from the room and brought her out into the midst of the party.

"Maura, dear," she said, "this is Garrett Fairfield. Garrett, my daughter, Maura."

Then her mother was gone, and Maura was left with Garrett. He was tall and handsome, which was good considering the fact that her mother was trying to set her up. She had been doing that since she was thirteen.

"Don't you just _love _when they do that?" he asked, flashing her a charming smile. "Hi, Maura, I'm Garrett. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise, I'm sure," Maura said.

"Want to go outside so we can talk?" Garrett asked, taking her hand and moving to leave the crowded room.

"Uh, sure," Maura said, following him through the crowd of people, "I guess."

They made their way out of the house to the backyard. It was dark out, and the air was cool. A nice change from the bright warmth of the party.

Taking a deep breath, Garrett let go of Maura's hand. "So you're a first year at BCU? Nice. I'll be going into my second."

"Oh," said Maura, suddenly realizing something. "How old are you?"

"Nineteen," Garrett answered. "I mean, I know you're like sixteen, but our mothers obviously don't care. So, I guess, what I'm saying is, Maura, would you like to go out with me?"

Maura laughed, "That's it? Really? You don't even really know me, Garrett."

"Au contraire, mademoiselle," he said in his best French accent, "I know you just fine. Your mother was very kind and gave me the rundown. You went to boarding school in Paris. Your favorite color is blue. You enjoy science. You prefer reading to watching television. You do ballet and you fence, which, by the way, we need to have a match. I am an excellent fencer, and I need a worthy adversary. You're close with your father. Even though you lived in Paris for years, you actually prefer Italian food. You are extremely bright and uber intelligent. I'd be lucky if you considered dating me, since you've turned down all the other guys she's tried to set you up with. And if I hurt you in any way, she will personally make sure that I regret it for the rest of my life."

"Well, I guess since you know _so much _about me," Maura said, smiling, "and my mother has personally threatened you, I just have to give you a chance, huh?"

"Looks that way, Miss Isles," Garrett said. "But, you know, you don't have to. I'm not going to force you into a relationship. My dad says that women do not like being told what to do, and quite frankly, I hate bossing people around."

Maura looked at Garrett then, really looked at him. He was different that the other potential suitors her mother had picked out for her. He was funny, nice, and had an air about him that spoke of his wealth but was unpretentious about it. She liked him.

"Well, I may consider dating you," she said, then, "but I still don't know much about you."

"Oh, well, that's easy," he laughed. "My name is Garrett Fairfield. I'm nineteen years old. I'm not a genius. I will most likely be taking over my father's business at some point, even though I don't want to. I, too, will be going to BCU. I like to watch television, but I'm not opposed to reading. I love to swim, but I fence as well. I'm closer to my mother, actually. My favorite color is green. I love to listen to music, and that's pretty much all there is to know about me. Oh, I have two brothers, too."

"Seems like we have almost nothing in common," Maura joked. "Perfect."

"So this means you'll go out with me?" he looked down at her with a sparkle in his eyes.

"I think it does," she said, "And I never guess."

"Looks like today was a good day for me to wear my lucky shirt," Garrett said.

"Appears so," said Maura, realizing how close she and Garrett actually were.

Then he kissed her. And, to her surprise, she found herself kissing him back.


End file.
